We Believe You Memphis...

What a fantastic Saturday...started at the 5K for Kids to benefit the Junior League! Mayor Wharton and his grandson kicked off the race and talked about how important it is for kids to eat and stay healthy!

I raced home, showered and we headed to Beale for some pregame fun at BB Kings and Silky's...then onto the Forum! I don't love NBA on TV, but I LOVE it in person!

Getting ready for the players to come out...

I love the Grass Roots effort of Believe Memphis! There was a foreigner in the suite with us and he was so into the game...it warmed my heart every time he said...We Believe You Memphis, We Believe You!

Everyone got a Believe Memphis t-shirt...

and a cheer towel...

After 4 quarters (where at one time we were behind by 15), we came back and won in OT! My throat is still sore from all my cheering!

Then we meet two of my favorite high school friends who were in town and their wives for a nice dinner at the new Italian place in Cooper/Young!

Now, I'm sad I'm not at the Forum for tonight's game, but you better believe I'll be cheering our Griz on...Believe Memphis!

Happy Mother's Day!

We missed spending the day with Mom, but she is at a reading conference. We will have to get together and celebrate sometime soon! And...we didn't get to spend the day with Grandma, because of I-40 being shut down due to the flooding.
However, Dad, Ray and I got to go and have lunch with Emily, Caleb and Lily. I also got to pick up my new containers that Emily ordered for me (as well as help Lily plant the window boxes on her playhouse and water at the store). A great day was had by all!

Celebration!

In celebration of the completion of the 1st year of GROW, we threw a year end party! We celebrated with hot wings, pizza and an AWESOME and DELICIOUS cake from The Cookie Florist (I highly recommend them). Below Rebecca, Bevan and I smile with Director Casey...Dir. Casey has lead the Lester Community Center since the 2nd day it opened and I look forward to his end of the night 'devotions' each week.

Chad Melon came and took portraits of each of the 37 families

We played a little prize bingo

And got some hugs

Katie with the Urban Childhood Institute came and presented the moms who completed the Better Brains for Babies class with completion certificates

Every participant got a GROW t-shirt to proudly wear for years to come

And this lucky man won the special 'healthy' food door prize

So, so much fun was had by all!

Thank You...

For your Congratulations on my honor and your Concern for us. Yes, the Mississippi is showing its Might, but unless the Corp of Engineer's projection is off by 4+ feet, our home will be safe. We live on the West side of the Island and it was the East side that got evacuated (and that you are seeing live on the National News). We do run a risk of not being able to get on and off the Island and we have been told to be ready to evacuate with 30 secs notice (and to be sure we have cash and personal protection (I assume for the animals and snakes that the water has brought out), which did get me a little worried)! Over the last week it has taken forever to get to and from work, because everyone thinks they need to take a field trip to see the water or do a little fishing from our road...However, the police are now blocking roads and giving tickets, in an effort to only let residents on the Island. The below picture is compliments of WMCTV from Tuesday...a deer on the swim for dry land...the water is now 2 feet higher, but seems we have about 6 feet till it is over the road.

I've Got Spirit...

0r so I was told on Monday night at our final Jr League general membership meeting when I was honored with the 'Teri Schneider Spirit of the Junior League of Memphis' award! I had nominated several people for year end awards, but I never thought about getting one myself...so when I realized the person giving the award out was talking about me, I had to fight back tears. I had a fantastic committee of 16 people, a great leader (who was named Volunteer of the Year!!!) and a fantastic counter part who lead the other project at Lester. It was definitely team work that made this project so successful.

A break in the RAIN...

made for a Beautiful Saturday with Lily! Emily had an open house at Lily's, so Ray and I went to keep Lily for the day. We had a very fun and busy day of which included to name a few things...kite flying...

Car washing...

Golfing...

and snake avoiding!

Up from the ground He rose...For I am His and He is mine!

For the first time in years, we were all together for Easter. We went to church with mom and dad, then came home to a delicious lunch and some egg hunting. Lily loved all her Easter baskets and was so excited to tell everyone what the Easter bunny did...'That Easter Bunny hid all the eggs I died!"

Here's Lily looking at her basket from Nonna and Poppa before Church. Lily does so well in Church, she knows she has to sit still, listen about Jesus and if she has to talk, she must 'whisper'!

Yes, ridding her new scooter in her French hand sown dress!

Lily was so good and finding all the eggs...her basket just got heavy, so she had to call her Poppa to hold it!

Day 2 with no picture...

but I had to share this story. I got home from work after a rather rough day and turn on the TV to catch the weather. I was cold, so I pulled my favorite Tennessee quilt from under the side table only to get stung by a yellow jacket...seriously, it's not ever summer yet! I have no idea how it go in the house, but yellow jackets and I do not mesh...even with a baking powder/vinegar paste and ice for over 30 minutes, my arm is HOT, SWOLLEN and BRIGHT RED! Seriously!

Proud!

Have I told you how much I enjoy being at the Lester Community Center? I didn't know what to expect when they asked me to lead the inaugural Thursday Night Supper Club this year; however, it has become the highlight of my week and I'm so proud of how my fellow Jr Leaguers have embraced this project (not to mention how honored I am to be asked to lead all 3 GROW projects next year...yes another year of GROW posts!). Anyway, I was so touched by the thank you notes from the director of the community center and a representative from the city of Memphis regarding the planting project that I posted about yesterday...I wanted to post how proud I am of these girls and post the comments on my blog for my own records (yes, I reread my blog all the time). You know I have so much and it is very hard for me to accept a 'thank you' (and I never expect one), but it just makes my heart sing to know that we are making a difference on this community.

I am profoundly happy and pleased with the number of volunteers that we had here this Saturday for the planning and beautification around Lester Community Center. I felt overjoyed that we had so many ladies here and that they worked so well together. This made me feel extremely blessed to be the recipient of so much love and commitment for helping this neighborhood and community center look extremely beautiful. I was so excited Sunday when I woke up to see what we had accomplished on Saturday that I drove to the center. The center looked so good that I decided to water the plants and just clean up the parking lot. Again, I just want to express my deep appreciation to the Junior League of Memphis and their accomplishment of the beautification of Lester Community Center.
-Walter C. Casey

This is an example of partnership at its best supporting the community of Binghampton through Lester CC. Junior league of Memphis is a shining star that produces light during these tough economic times for families in need.

-Charles Fung, City of Memphis

Seriously...

it was 52 degrees, cloudy, windy and down right cold this past Saturday, but it didn't stop me! While Ray took another part of the CPA...I started the day with dad at 'Bark In the Park', which is a fundraiser for the Greyhound Adoption Option. It was at the Levitt Shell and Joyce Cobb performed.

Then I headed to the Community Center for the final Saturday GROW event and the Provisional planting project. The provisionals did an impressive job on the landscaping! It's amazing what a little fresh mulch can do for a cement building!

The older kids loved helping out...

and they were so proud of their work!

After planting and some chick-fil-a, we made paper with the Botanic Gardens...

and the preschoolers decorated flower pots and made wind chimes!

It was a fantastic Saturday!

April 15...

Tax day or no tax day... April 15 is always a sad day for me. Tonight, I watched Country Strong and the entire way through I thought about my Grandma Mullen (who died 12 years ago today)...not because of anything in the movie, but because it was a Country Movie. Grandma Mullen loved country and western movies, books and music. I remember like it was yesterday, talking on the phone to my her while she was in Alabama at her oldest son's house in 1992 after my Grandpa Mullen had died, she told me that they took a break from writing Thank you notes to go to the theatre and see that new country movie, Pure Country. She told me I needed to go see it because it was real good.

Me and Grandma at my 18th Birthday in 1996 at Southland Grayhound Park

Stop, Drop and Roll...

Tonight was all about fire safety at the community center. The preschoolers loved seeing all the 'treasures' that a fire truck holds...

They especially loved getting to sit up front...

The school age children got a lesson before they got their turn on the hook and ladder...

Some of the boys posing with a fire fighter!

Thanks to the MFD for sending 2 trucks and 8 firemen...you made some 60 kids very excited!

My new title and the laugh I needed today...

Too bad no more money came with my new title!

Oldies, but goodies...

A few weeks ago, we went and spent the night with Caleb, Emily and Lily...we had a big time playing outside before hitting up Cajun Express!

Seriously???

It's the beginning of April for goodness sakes...
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Spring has sprung...

at the community center...the cutest 'preschool' flower garden around!

Catching up...

This is what happens when your Nonna, your Aunt Molly and your Aunt Brooke takes you to Sesame Street Live...lots of cotton candy...

And an Elmo hat and your first pair of binoculars...

It was so fun to watch how much you enjoyed the show!

Molly 'borrowed' Lily's new Elmo hat for a picture with Nonna and Lily! Fun Night!